Blackbirds
by Echoless Dreamer
Summary: The Overlord has won. It's simple. He was just too powerful. But when he does win, it means utter destruction for the other citizens of Ninjago, and forces the ninjas into hiding. However, after the Overlord defeated the ninjas and crippled Ninjago, the only things that can truly stop him were scattered. So, who will the ninja turn to now? What might they find? Who will they lose?
1. Chapter 1: Cole

Chapter One: Cole

What with the city in ruins, it's difficult to remember all the places I've walked before. It shouldn't be that difficult, but eventually you forget. How strange, to wonder how many people died here, to imagine what it used to be. Now, it's just more smoldering rubble in a place that looks like something only the greatest dystopian writer could dream up. Disgusting.

I kick over a rock and watch it tumble down the slanted sidewalks. Amusing, as always. That hasn't changed. But the pavement is broken into pieces, chunks missing here and there, other parts are boiling like a liquid. This isn't natural, none of it is. Unfortunately for me, it's all we've got.

My feet are killing me. Too much walking, too much. There's nowhere left to stay, almost no food, almost nothing at all. How long has it been since he's won? Two? Three? Four weeks? Maybe. Four sounds about right. I sigh, looking around for anything I can hope to bring back. There's nothing, and I know there's nothing. Nothing but more ashes and more dead bodies that I don't need to see. I don't need to be reminded that I grew up here. I don't need to be reminded that my father was born here. I don't need to remember that he's dead. I don't need to remember that I failed.

There are gashes in my clothing, from all the running and tripping and falling. From all the hunting and fighting, and from needing to bandage wounds as they happen. It's horrifying, to be like this, this terrifying truth behind it. We failed, and now we'll be the last to die a slow and painful death which will get us nowhere. When the Overlord finishes us off, he's leave and begin his conquest of other worlds. Other dimensions. Somewhere that's not here. And maybe then humanity will have a chance. We never did anyways.

In the first few days since we lost, we took mostly to trying to fix Zane. He was broken….so damaged…..so dead…..so…so hurt….so badly. Pixal, too. But we couldn't fix her. We could only bring him back. With what we had, we were lucky to even get him working again. Since then, he'd been tinkering with that stupid memory switch again, trying to forget her. He hasn't forgotten us yet, and when he perfects that, he will. But it's for the best. If we all have to die in front of the nindroid, at least he won't feel any regret or pain when he sees.

Kai's taken charge, and I'm grateful. I couldn't lead anyone, let alone myself through all of this. He's made priorities, he's made shelters, and he's even managed to keep a stable heat and light source around when the rest of us are freezing at night. I think having Nya around has helped him. He still has his little sister, he still has a reason to keep fighting this. What do I have? I have three people who used to be my brother and a girl who cares too much about us. That's all.

When we need food or traps, there's Jay. He was always good at building, always good at something. Bragging about his inventions, or what he managed to figure out, or even if he found something stupid. He's still the same, in the midst of this destruction. He's still the same, always joking, always laughing, and always trying to lighten the mood.

Then there's me. I'm a scout. If I don't come back after investigating a place, then everyone should run and assume I'm dead. What a great life. There's nothing great about someone telling you to put your life on the line every second of every day. It's scary. You think you can do it but you're just so scared. Around every corner, there could be more drones, more of the creatures that kill. More twitching, bulky robots that resemble serpents and humans and wolves even. More of the things that have taken so many lives already.

The drones were created as an artificial intelligence before the Overlord returned. That's all I know about them. They're disturbing and unnerving and move without making a sound. All they do is kill. That's what they were built for, and since they were taken over and mass produced, they're everywhere that once was safe.

The Overlord works fast, so my job is full time. I never get a break, and when I do, I spend it curled up away from the others in a tent made of rocks. I, unlike them, retained every bit of my elemental power. Kai's is starting to fade. Zane's is gone forever, and Jay has no use for his at all. Maybe that's why I haven't died yet. I can still move the earth. I can still change things.

No. No I can't. There's nothing to change. Absolutely nothing. Except for the fact that this town is empty, and I am exhausted. Those things can change. I walk down a street, stopping beneath a dangling stoplight. It's still intact, but the bulbs are broken. All but the green one. Just go. All there's left to do is go. I let out a deep breath and take a left, seeing how far the road goes before it turns into crushed debris. It goes farther than I thought it might, breaking into shattered clumps next to an old gun shop. There's nothing there now. The survivors must have got here first.

This is the apocalypse, after all. All they want to do is make it out alive. Even though I can tell it's empty, I climb through the shattered window, not even bothering to check for broken glass and earning myself a few new cuts. I should have stayed on the road. There's a mangled carcass of a man with glasses. His body has been ripped open and his lungs are missing. All the blood he lost is dried, looking more like a black paste than blood at all. The bones in his arms stick out. This body is fresh, and he wasn't killed by the drones. Drones don't do this. Drones kill one way, and one way only. The cut off the head. This body still has a head. Another human did this.

There are signs of some kind of struggle, but it wasn't much. A gash in the man's temple mean he was shot and then killed. Someone shot him and then took the bullet out. No. it couldn't have been a bullet. A crossbow, maybe? The gash wouldn't be this big if it was. Maybe he was stabbed and not shot. That would make just as much sense. Well. However he died, there was no recognizing this body now. I lean down to see just what's there. He has a jacket. It's almost worth it, to take a dead man's coat. So I do, grabbing the edges and shaking the corpse off. It's freezing when the sun sets and my arms are exposed. But the others will get suspicious if I don't find anything.

Behind me, there's a noise that sounds like the cocking of a gun. It's a soft noise, followed by a whisper that says;  
"Don't move." I take a sharp inhale and try to place the voice, but it's no use. There was no one who lived in this town that sounded like that. I knew all of them. This voice was new.

"I want you to turn around and drop all your weapons." The voice continues on, it's deep but not so much that it belongs to someone old. Just….it's unsettling. I turn around, slowly, careful to raise my hands to show that I have nothing other than what I'm wearing.

It's a girl. A girl and a boy, for that matter. The girl looks a bit older than me, with fingernail scratches on her neck and face, and scarlet hair that makes all other reds pale in comparison. Her body is skinny, but not so much that I could see her ribs. Her arms are muscular, more so than they should be for someone of her looks. On her forehead, there is a distinct crimson spot of dried blood. She's dressed in solid black, but her clothes are torn like mine and even filthier than I've ever seen before. The boy, on the other hand, could not be more opposite. He looks almost nine, with thick glasses and matted ginger hair. His eyes are wide enough as they look from her to me. I cast a glance at him, but the girl growls and points her gun at my face.

"Why are you here? This town's been raided a long time ago." Her voice is a bit raspy, but it doesn't affect any bit of her stature.

"My group and I are just passing through. I can leave right now if you want." I try to keep my voice from faltering. I'm not scared, just a bit worried she might shoot. The boy is walking around me, wide eyes narrowing and staring. He makes his way back to stand behind the girl, who puts the gun down.

"He says you're not a threat." Did she mean the boy? He hadn't said anything, just stare. The girl hold out her hand, waiting for me to shake it.  
"That's Draco. And I'm…..Hopeless. We're members of a refugee camp not far from here. In fact, I'm in charge." She says this all too cockily, all too pleased with herself. All too happy that she's managed to win without fighting me. At least, I hope that's what it is. I reach out and take her hand.

"Cole." If I told her that I was one of the ninjas, then she might kill me. It's all my fault that this apocalypse started anyways. It's all my fault the world is dying. Her eyes narrow, and she pulls her arm away, wiping her hand on her jeans. Rude. The boy, or Draco as she called him, tugs on her shirt and she looks at him.

"Draco wants to know if you and you're group might want to join us. We're survivors, nothing more nothing less. As long as you don't have anything electronic, you're welcome to come." But he hadn't said anything…..maybe they just had a silent form of communication that I wasn't aware of. That made more sense than anything else.

"We….we have a droid. But he's self-aware, not working for anyone else." Hopeless takes a step towards me and jeers in my face.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut that droid down. Or else you'll end up like Mr. Robins over there." She gestures to the dead man on the ground. "This was his store, after all." Her voice is sharper than I ever thought possible for anyone.

"He's one of us." The redhead takes a step back and cocks the gun one more time, aiming right between my eyes.

"Tell me, 'Cole', how many times has this droid saved your life? And how many times have you saved him?" I pause, thinking about how sarcastically she'd said my name, like she didn't believe it.

"Too many to count. He's no threat to anyone." There's some truth in those words. Zane's too dead inside to think about hurting anyone. Maybe a good place to stay would help. It'd be good for the rest of them, too.

"I don't trust you, but that will get me nowhere. Go get your group and bring them here. Remember to leave your belongings somewhere else or my people will end up raiding them." She puts the gun down for the second time. Hopefully, it's the last time she raises it. The ginger haired boy tugs on her shirt again and she rolls her eyes and groans, before waving him away. He scampers over to me again and points to the coat on my back. I look over at Hopeless, waiting for her to say something.

"He says it's infected." She growls before grabbing the boys hand and dragging him outside. It takes me less than a second to get the jacket off, and it's on the ground again, next to its dead owner.

So. I was supposed to believe this person, who had just pointed a gun to my head, wouldn't kill me if she got the chance to. And I was supposed to assume that she'd protect us. Why did I need her protection? I never needed anyone's help. Now, though. The others could use somewhere safe to stay for a day or two. Moving from place to place on foot was tiring, and this seemed like a good way out. Of course, it had to be. There's always a way out. Always.

I step outside of the broken door, looking to see where the two went. But they're gone, completely vanished, leaving me to think I might have imagined the whole thing. The foot prints on the ground suggest otherwise, since they aren't my own.

Infected. The jacket was infected, she'd claimed. Infected. Infected with what, exactly?


	2. Chapter 2: Hopeless

Chapter Two: Hopeless

He's going to kill us all. That's the first though I have when I see him. Him and his dark hair and green eyes. This boy is going to kill us all. He's the one who did this, he's the one who's brought them here, and he's the reason that my people are going to die.

Leading refugees is not what I do. That's Draco's job. Most of the survivors are in their early twenties or just older than ten. They listen to me without a second thought, so Draco is the leader and I am his voice. The kid's smarter than I'll ever be anyways. Leading refugees is not what I was born to do. I was born to protect and to serve and to fight. Not to sit around barking orders at people. The only thing I want to do at this moment is get Draco out alive. Draco is the one who has to live.

In all honesty, I suppose I could have been a little less rude to this Cole person. But he was in our area, putting out people at risk. The jacket he wore was one of the infected's. And now he'll put us all in danger. So why did I invite him back? Because Draco told me to. It's that simple. Everyone looks at the two of us, the survivor and the little kid that follows her around, and assumes that I'm the boss. When in reality, Draco is the boss. The kid with glasses is my leader. He's not even ten yet. Not even nine. But I listen to him without a second thought. Don't worry, Draco, it's alright. I won't let them kill you.

Draco is not a normal human. He has no vocal cords, and no ability to hear. His mind works at almost three times the capacity of my own. That's over the super genius level by at least three hundred percent. At least. He doesn't even know his own name, but that doesn't matter. He's my leader, and he saved my life. Life comes from a source. Draco has come directly form that source. I'm not sure he was even born. He must have been created somewhere along the way. But. Once you make a bond with him, he's yours forever. So I take care of him, and I keep him out of trouble. And I prevent him from taking over the world. And I fight for him. It's that easy. That, and it feels like he's mostly my responsibility in the first place.

However, that doesn't change how I feel about having five unwanted strangers in the heart of our camp. That is unforgivable. It's over the top insane. It's too much. At least they seem to know what they're doing. I stand out in the town center, just beyond the point where I'd run into Cole before. It wasn't like I had prior engagements or anything I could be doing instead of this. No. just me and Draco, waiting for him and his group to come back. He didn't even say how many there was, but now that they walk towards us, it's easy to see how they survived. Just five. Just five.

There's Mr. Infected over there, dark clothes and black hair, standing behind all of them, staying away from me. My gaze flickers between the other four. Four guys, one girl. With any luck, she's the leader. But no, a boy with spiky hair and an apparent love of the color red steps forwards. His eyes are a sad amber brown. At one point, I might have thought they were unique. Now, the just looked like death itself had come upon us. Draco tugs on my arm and blinks a few times.

_Introduce yourself._

It's his instruction. They always ring clear in my head. Once you bond with Draco, he's yours forever. That means our minds are one. If he dies, I die, but not the other way around. I move to stand in front of the brown haired boy, and he extends a gloved hand. If he was aware of the infection, he's not doing a good job of hiding it. I shake his hand and then pull back and wipe my hand off. He scowls at this action. Maybe he thinks it's rude.

"I'm Kai. This is Zane, Nya, and Jay." In order, he points to a white haired, pale faced boy who doesn't even look human, to a short black haired girl who wears red sweatpants and a blue shirt, to a boy with an obvious thing for the color of the sky and dark auburn hair.

"I'm Hopeless, and that's Draco." I say, pointing to the child by my side, who immediately clings closer to me.  
"Which of you is the droid?" I feel myself ask. But it's not me. I'm not the one asking it. I don't even want to know. The boy in blue, Jay, I think, casts a split second look at the ghostly person standing on his right. Immediately, I move to stare in his face. The white haired one, not Jay, who seems startled I can move this fast.

His eyes are an ice blue. So cold, so unfeeling, so dark and so empty. But there's gears I can see behind them, it's faint. There is emotion in his eyes, yet I'm certain it is programmed into him. No real human has that much pain. No human should ever have that much regret on his face. He takes a step back, away from me. Poor Zane. Zane. It suits him, that name. He was certainly some kind of gift.

_The girl. Ask her something. We could use her._

Draco passes me a few more mental instructions as I take a step back to stand beside him again. He takes my hand.

"You. Nya, right? How long have you all been out here?" Kai seems confused when I ask, and I fight back a laugh. He's supposed to be in charge, he's supposed to be the boss. I can see it in his eyes. Yet, he allows the girl to answer.

"Since the fall of Ninjago City." Her voice is shaking, and she seems a bit clingy to the boy in blue. They must be a couple. It only makes sense, just from looking at them.

_They aren't a couple. She's just nervous, and they once had something. Obviously, Hopeless. You're better than that._

His mental notes come in a mocking tone this time. Yet, when I look at them again, there is no chemistry between the two. Just some frail silhouette of a former romance. The boy with the glasses is right. There's nothing between them anymore.

Since the fall of Ninjago City. So. They were there? My gaze moves over to Cole, who is currently ducked behind his comrades, trying to pretend he doesn't exist. If I hadn't seen him before, I might have bought it. They didn't even try to introduce him, or say that I might already know him. They aren't keen on keeping him around. He must be dead weight. Which seems plausible, given his physique. He's got the muscles to look like he's strong, but his face and eyes look weakened.

"So. Kai, was it? You were in Ninjago City when the Overlord killed off the fabled ninjas and their two sensei?" They all flinch. Must be a sensitive subject. Whatever it was earns Cole a halfhearted slap on the back of the head from Kai, who finally seems to acknowledge his existence. I stand on the spot, waiting.

"Actually, only one ninja was killed. And….yes, we were there." His voice cracks.

_He knew them. Don't bring it up again._

Draco's words echo in the back of my skull. Don't bring it up? How the hell am I supposed to do that? Just pray it doesn't come up in conversation? Sounds alright to me.

"Only one, huh? Interesting. Let's go before it gets dark, okay?" I wave for them to follow and nod over to my companion who scoots around the corner and brings me back my shotgun. I'm not even sure what kind it is or where it's from or anything like that, but I quite like the feel of it. It's just a shotgun, but I like it. The five take a step away from me. Well. The four. Cole doesn't budge. Instead, he takes a step forwards. I put my hand on my hip and flip a bit of red hair off my shoulder.

"Oh come on. Now I'm suddenly dangerous?" I give off a slight laugh before going serious again and turning around to walk. Draco reaches up and grabs my left hand, so I swap which hand will be holding the gun. Right hand today. Left hand tomorrow.

_I like the blue one. He's a lot like you, Hopeless. He's hopeless._

If that hadn't been a normal statement, I might have slapped him then and there. But it was true. I had no worth. I was just a shield. A human shield. That's all. I listen to each footstep they make and remember to come back tomorrow to clean off the path. We don't need any drones following us. I doubt they even know about the drone's virus. I'll have to make it clear.

_Maybe the red one is the one you've been waiting on. _

Oh, shut it, Draco. He and I both know it's not true.

Our camp is well hidden, at least I hope it still is. It's actually in the town, beneath what once was a performance hall. I'm sure there were lots of plays and bands here once. I'm sure that this town has a rich culture, or at least, it used to. I'm sure that there was something here once. I move through the entrance hall, past the doors that have already fallen in when the doorway began to collapse, turning to check that they're still following. All five are, the black haired boy moving slower than he should be. There is depression written all over his face. I let out a sigh, and turn to my companion and wait for instruction.

_I will lead the rest into the main entrance. Stay and speak to him. If he is immune to the virus, then we need him._

He's right, again. Draco hops over to Kai and tugs on his hand, leading him around the bend to the elevator, where we have carved our staircase out inside. I nod to the rest like it's what they should do.

"Hey. You. What are you doing?" I snap at the boy standing in the doorway.

"My dad used to perform here." Rolling my eyes, I grab his arm.

"Yeah, and I doubt he knew that his son would be stuck outside at night during the apocalypse. Now get your ass down there with the others. I can see the way they treat you. Kai's the alpha, but it used to be you. You used to be in charge. Isn't that right?" He yanks his arm away from me. The look of sadness turns to a look of hatred. Hatred for me. But I didn't say that. It was my voice and my body, but I didn't say it.

"Yeah, you're in charge. Bet that feels great. When they die, you're responsible." Cole hisses at me and takes off to where the others disappeared. I didn't say any of those things. It wasn't me. It wasn't. It was all Draco. I can't control when he speaks for me.

He's the reason I can't have friends. Because he's in charge. Because I'm just a pawn. Because I have no control.

I take in a deep breath and move around the corner to the elevator shaft and grab onto one of the ropes. We have stairs, but no one uses them. There's about ten other people down there, counting on me to tell them what's going on and when. But. At the same time, Cole is right. If they get hurt, everything falls back onto me. I'm the scapegoat. Just like him.

_You know, he'll hurt you, right? Guys like him are everywhere. Full of anger and lust. Try to keep a handle on it, okay? _

Shut up, Draco. You may be a super genius, but you don't know anything. And I wasn't thinking anything like that. I just mean that is my spectacled companion didn't get in the way, Cole and I might have been good friends. I snicker at myself. That's a deadly thought.

I slide down the rope, feeling a bit like someone out of an adventure movie, until my feet hit the firm concrete below.

This is where I belong. Six feet below the earth. Six feet below the tops of the ground, in my network of tunnels, beneath a rocky dome. In a cave, so no one should ever see my face again.


	3. Chapter 3: Kai

Chapter Three: Kai

When the Overlord killed Lloyd, there was a void in all of us. Zane was broken, Cole was in deep depression, and Jay and Nya split. Then there was me, and I had nothing. My family was gone, my sensei was dead, and the only hope for Ninjago had bled out in front of his protectors. Nya loved Jay more than anything, she claimed. But it was a lie. They knew it wouldn't work anymore. There was nothing left at all.

Everything we worked for was scratched off like that. Everything I tried to be was just torn down. I wanted to be strong for my sister, yet she didn't need me to be. My friends didn't need me to be strong anymore either. So when the time came, I took the lead for once, and Cole seemed to fall over and obey at will. Out of all of us, I think he hurt the most. Jay's parents were on the run, but at least they were alive. Zane was a robot, his memory could be wiped clean whenever he liked. And I still had Nya. Still have.

Yet, we've all done our part. Meeting this girl named Hopeless has given us another shot at a stable home for a while. Cole found her, or rather, she found him. I watch her and the little boy who stands next to her as the circle around us. We stand in some kind of cavern, with small lanterns on the ground, set on low, but flickering just light enough to see and make out the surroundings. This room has been here for a long time.

"You all can come out, they're safe." Hopeless calls out into one of the tunnels to the right. They have a tunnel system. Her voice echoes off the wall in bounds, finally fading out after ringing in my ears for a moment. Nothing happens. All she does is shrug it off like it's nothing and grab the little boy's hand.

"Hey, would you mind telling us where we are?" I ask, taking a step towards her. She blinks, unnerved by my question.

"The entrance to my camp. I thought you would be able to figure that out. Oh well." That doesn't sound like something someone might say, but she shrugs again and points to the tunnel to my direct right. There's some kind of flame light at the end, but up until that point it's all dark and eerie. She shoots me a smug smile before dragging the boy behind her as she runs down the tunnel. Halfway through it, her figure disappears.

"Well. She's certainly something, isn't she?" Jay laughs from behind. Yeah. Something is one word.

"What I don't get is why a cave? I mean, is the surface that bad?" My sister mutters just loud enough for everyone to hear. While it's true that this girl is literally the face of every apocalyptic story out there, she's also got that kid around with her. Something is off about them. Something that I don't like. I can't describe what it is, only that something about that boy doesn't sit right with me.

"Must be. She kept talking about me being infected." Cole finally speaks for the first time in a while. I had almost forgotten what he sounded like. Deep voice, yet now it was just a monotone.

"Infected?" I ask. But all he does is ignore me again and step past me to reach the opening in the wall where Hopeless disappeared. The others follow him. I guess it's instinctual.

Since we found his father crushed beneath his tour bus in the city, Cole's been a wreck. Although, now that a little more time has passed, he's colder than ever, and never cracks a smile anymore. He doesn't fight the same way. He doesn't even talk the same. He's not my friend anymore. He's different. The same with all of us. But seeing someone you love slip away from you like that is not something you can forget. Along with all the lies he told, and all the things he did that he never talks about, the one who's hurting most is the one who shows no emotion. I miss my friend, I really do. I want those days I wasted back, hating them for being better than me. I did, I did hate them. Everyone was always better and I wasn't good enough. At least I have Nya. She's my sister, she's my entire world. Nya is the only reason I haven't turned into an emotionless monster like Cole. I pity him now.

At the end of the tunnel where the firelight was flickering before, there's another room. It's huge, almost like a house within this maze. But it's not quite like the rest of the cavern which was muddy and damp. It's warm and dry, with patches of yellow grass growing here and there. There is a circle of about six people, some caked in dirt, others are clean as possible, all sitting around a fire. Torn up sleeping bags are over in a corner. Hopeless sits on a rock at the far end of the circle and waves us over, telling us to sit down. All the eyes watch us as the people move to allow us room. There's a few smiles from the younger ones, but the older people have somber looks on their faces.

"This is Kai, Zane, Jay, Cole, and Nya. They were in Ninjago City the day the Overlord won." Hopeless says with a deadpan voice. A hush falls over us all. That wasn't a day I wanted to relive. Ever.

"Well, at least they're out now." A girl with black pigtails whispers this, but her voice travels. She looks directly at me with huge blue eyes. "I'm Layla. And this is Lucifer." She points to the boy sitting beside her. They look almost identical, except the boy has a jagged cut across his lip. Siblings, most likely.

"Hmph. More like they brought their problems here." A woman growls at Zane, who sits next to her. I watch him flinch away.

"That's Myah. Just ignore her. I'm Sampson," Squeaks a little boy with blonde hair. The tips of his hair are tinted with dust and blood, but I still smile at him like I'm supposed to. Always do what you're supposed to.

"Did you check them for infection?" A girl that looks suspiciously like Draco only with more freckles prods Hopeless's leg. Hopeless shakes her head. The kids named Layla and Lucifer nearly shriek and run away. Infection? Hopeless groans and points after them. The woman rolls her eyes and gets up, continuing to follow them, calling out in a much calmer voice.

"Give us a minute?" The redhead says to the rest of the group.

What was she getting at? The rest of the people in the circle get up and spread out, all heading somewhere else. Infection. Cole said something about infection. Not that I was really listening to him. Not that it mattered.

"Kai, take off your gloves." I freeze.

"My gloves?" This makes Hopeless irritated. She frowns and takes a deep breath, waiting for me to do something. I take off the gloves. The tips of my fingertips are a dark blue. She gets up from her spot and comes over to inspect my hands.

"Looks like frostbite, but no virus." Zane holds up his hands for her to see, but she ignore him, moving to Jay, whose hands she holds for longer than she needs to. She's not looking at his fingers at all. I fight back a laugh. Maybe she noticed this, maybe she didn't, because she quickly scans Nya's hands over and then moves to Cole, who she barely glances at.

The entire time, the kid with glasses is staring intently at me. It's an uncomfortable feeling. Like something horrible is about to happen, but I know it's nothing. It's always nothing. But those owl eyes of his feel like they're forever fixed on me. I hear Hopeless snicker.

"He likes you." She says with some amount of satisfaction. Great. I really needed that.

"So….what's this….virus you keep talking about?" I slide my gloves back over my hands as she sighs and sits back down on her spot.

"You guys really don't know, do you?" The lack of response provides its own answer. "Well. After the first round of drones started killing people off, some kind of sickness began rising up. Most people figure it was the Overlord's doing. People who got this sickness dies within hours. Usually their lungs would melt and their hands would turn this really disgusting black color. We started calling The Blackbird Virus. It's highly contagious."

"Isn't there some kind of treatment?" I blurt out, interrupting her story. She glares at me, red eyes flickering the firelight.

"Yes and no. The treatment is people. There's a few around the world who are supposedly immune. If you take their blood and combine it, you get a substance purer enough to wipe it out. We had a few cases here when most of these people were arriving here in the first place. About a week ago, we lost thirty people to it before we came to our senses. In early stages, it's not contagious. Only after they start throwing up blood should you worry." Blood. Throwing up….blood. Suddenly, all those dead bodies we'd seen weren't looking all that bad. Hopeless turns away from us and coughs, Draco immediately rising up to make sure she was alright. All she does is wave him away.  
"Anyways. It's been spreading like a wildfire. Most of the people here weren't affected by it or were never in an area where it was common. Except for Myah. She survived it, somehow. So, reliving all that would be pretty shitty, considering that you've never seen it. Tell me again, how did you guys get out of the city without being killed?" She folds her hands and leans forwards, an expectant look on her face.

Without being killed. I'm not sure we did, I still feel dead inside.

"Sewers." I mutter without a second thought. The little boy is still staring at me, and something about him puts me on edge. Like he knows I'm lying. Like he knows that I'm one of the ones who caused this. Like he knows everything there is to know. Like he knows that I'm faking it all. But Draco and Hopeless exchange a glance before nodding to each other and standing up, putting out the fire. The ashes fizzle and die out, a few sparks scattering here and there.

"You can sleep here. Tomorrow, we'll get you something to eat, and then you can go before the drones get here." She spits her words in an icy tone and takes the boy's hand before dragging him away into another area.

She's not normal. This isn't normal. And I should be dead. I'm still dead inside anyways. Lloyd's dead and it's my fault, my friends aren't my friends, and now we're all stuck with a bunch of psychopaths and we are somewhat _trusting_ these people.


	4. Chapter 4: Jay

Chapter Four: Jay

It's cold. It's dark. It's empty. And, worst of all, it's lonely. A month or two ago, living like this would have been unthinkable. Looking back on all the times I complained about where I slept or why, it almost makes me laugh. I had it so easy. And I had so much. So much I wish I could have back. All those days, wasted tinkering on some robot that never worked in the end. All those hours, wasted playing video games or training to fight when all I'd end up doing was lose.

The ground is cold, but I rest my head on my arm as I lie down. It's the only thing I can really think to do. I'm alone over here, next to a wall on the far edge of this big, empty cave. How could someone stay here like an animal? Then I realize that I'm here too. I'm the real animal. Not the people hiding out here. Me.

I want to be next to Nya, but she doesn't need me. Instead, I am alone. I want to be next to Nya, I want to know she still cares about me. It'd be pointless, but I just have to know. In all honesty, it was all my fault in the first place. My fault she thought I wasn't good enough, my fault she got hurt, my fault she's alone. My fault that I'm the one regretting it all. In the end, that's what it comes down to. I couldn't be closer to her, but in my mind, she's so much farther away. Nya. I'm sorry. Not like I can say that out loud. If I tried to apologize, she'd just ignore me. Like always. In the end, it's all my fault.

It feels like the night keeps getting longer and longer, especially now that we're underground. On the surface, everything is so much calmer, so much more alive. In here, it's like living in a skeleton. Interesting. I never considered that before. Living in a skeleton. Like a parasite. Does that make me a flea or a tick? Most likely a flea, since all I do is hop around from place to place. Comparing myself to insects. Could my self-esteem get any lower? Most likely not. Well, that's just a lie. I could be comparing myself to something way worse.

Since it's near impossible for me to sleep, I just remain curled up on the dirt, the top of my head pressed up against the rocks. It's too dark for me to do anything besides scarcely make out the other's shapes. Everyone is so spread out. We're falling apart. No. We're not supposed to fall apart. Not like this, at least.

Something moves in the corner of my vision, the outline of another person. They step calmly overtop whoever is sleeping in a huddle in the center of the room, and make their way over to me. Long hair, thin body. I have to squint to even begin to see who's really there, and even then I can't tell.

"Get up." It's a hoarse whisper, but I obey without a second thought. Like there's anything better to do.

"What?" I mutter, my eyes still attempting to adjust to the dark light.

"Follow me. This is important." A girl's voice tells me. Hopeless. It has to be Hopeless. She's the only one who would wake people up in the middle of the night, at least, as far as I know. Maybe I'm not looking at her personality correctly. Whatever the reason, I force myself to my feet and follow her. For a moment, I stumble around in the dark, stubbing my toe on a few rocks, most likely getting a bruise or too. I hear her groan irritably and then she grabs my wrist and drags me across the cave and around a bend. There's a flicker of light there and the closer and closer we get, the more I can feel the heat coming off of it. It's a flame.

But there's more than just a flame. As my eyes adjust, I can see what it is that Hopeless is showing me. Her body moves like a zombies, slowly and calmly, around the flicker flame in the corner. There is a young girl laying on the ground, so small, so frail. So tiny. And her body is a black purple color with blood crusted lips and eyes of scarlet. It's not natural.

"This is what the virus does to you." Her voice is hushed over, and I watched as she reaches towards the body and closes the girl's eyes. "Poor Layla. One of you is infected, you know. The rest are immune or carriers. You've brought death itself to the survivor's door, and now it's stronger than ever." I can hear the pain in her voice. She blames us. She blames me. Why am I always blamed? Why me? What did I do to hurt them?

"Who?" It's the only word I can choke out before Hopeless rounds on me, red hair flying, eyes widening to look at me in the pale light. She backs me up against a wall, staring at me, studying me for a moment before sighing and backing away.

"It's not you. You're immune. But…..we should know by tomorrow who it is and why it hasn't affected them. Cole, he's immune too. He was trudging through the city like an idiot, surrounded by pathogens, yet he shows no sign of being affected. As for your droid, he can't get sick." That only leaves Kai and Nya. No. Not Nya. If it has to be Kai, I'd rather it be him than lose here. I've already lost her so many times and now again. I won't let it be her.

"Let's say one of is sick. How long would they have before they end up like her?" Hopeless looks over her shoulder at the dead girl and shrugs.

"Layla was young and weak. She didn't have much longer anyways. But you people are strong. I'd say at least a day, if not longer. Layla was like this just after a few hours of you all arriving." So it was us. Or one of us.

"Then we have time to figure out what to do." She shakes her head and laughs. It sounds a bit more like a cackle, actually.

"You're so stupid. You can't cure the virus unless you get all the components." Stupid. Now there's a word I'm familiar with. Treating me like I'm an idiot. Wow.

"What do we need?" Then comes her silence and a deep breath.

"I just wanted you to be aware of what was going to happen next. I've already sent most everyone else out, everyone who hasn't survived before. There's nothing that can be done, Bluebird." I raise my eyebrow at her.

"Bluebird?" She shrugs and offers a half smile.

"It sounds a lot better to me than Jay. Plus, you're a Blackbird carrier. Bluebird. I thought it would be a nice touch." There's so little in her voice, such a dead concentration that it's startling. Hopeless stomps out the little flame that was burning and turns to me. "You should get some rest." Her words are simple, yet deadly. And I obey, moving back into the darkness, along the wall until I find a soft spot next to a rock where I rest my head.

One of us is going to die. Tomorrow, she said. It could be a lie. It could be a trap. It could be a trick. It could be so many things, but I don't want to lose anyone. Someone is going to die. Someone is not going to be here anymore. I can't lose anyone else. I just can't.


	5. Chapter 5: Hopeless

Author's Note:  
It's been a while since I tried writing anything for Ninjago, and in all honesty I wasn't sure anyone would like this, but I guess if you're reading it you liked it enough to keep going! And that deserves a thank you! Also, thank you to ForeverDreamer12 for all the reviews so far. You're awesome! And a thank you to the Guest who reviewed as well! ^_^  
So, please keep reading if you made it this far, it would mean a lot. And remember to leave a review if you read and enjoyed.  
Farewell for now, I'm sorry to have interrupted your reading with random nonsense.  
~Echo

* * *

Chapter Five: Hopeless

The sun is rising. It's a calm light at first, but now that I'm back above ground, I can see it for the first time in a long time. It's a dangerous glow that casts my shadow backwards towards the low entrance of the cavern. Yet, I enjoy every breath taking moment the sun allows me. It's not as if it has changed, it's still the same old burning ball of fire in the sky. Only know it seems much more intense, as if everything else has changed instead. The sky is burning in gold. At least it won't be too foggy for scouting today, like it was yesterday.

My camp is nothing more than an old dug out mineshaft, built so long ago before this town had become the way it was when the world decided to end. It's not even mine, and it's not even safe. Although no drones have found us and we've avoided sickness for so long, our entire existence is being threatened and there's nothing I can do about it. Bringing carriers to stay is all my fault. How was I to know? How was I supposed to tell?

_They are awake, Hopeless. Nya has a fever. The others wish to see you. Should I tell them to go to you?_

I'm pretty sure Draco is aware that this is a one way bond. Although he never seems to take my advice anyways and in moments I can hear the sound of footsteps racing towards the mouth of the tunnel. I step to the left and out of the way, making sure that if anyone were to come, which I'm sure they are, I wouldn't be run over in the process. One pair of feet. Two. Just two. There should be four of them. Hmm.

Turning around, I get a good long look at the boy with spiked hair and the boy in blue. Their eyes are desperate, their bodies out of breath and all they do is stare at me. My shadow moves as the sun does, casting down on them from where I stand, my nostrils flaring for no reason, eyes narrowed. I must look threatening from where they stand, dirt on my face and handgun in my pocket. But it doesn't matter.

"What?" I snap at them, but neither speaks right away. After a moment though, Kai steps towards me with a solemn expression.

"My sister is sick. Is there anything you can do?" Snorting at them, I push him out of the way and head back down the rocky path.

"It's a fever. Not the end of the world. When was the last time she ate?" I glance over my shoulder to make sure they follow. Jay is almost right behind me while Kai lags behind, tripping over the downhill slope. How they managed to get up the path without failing astounds me, usually I'm the only one who can manage to reach that entrance. Strange.

"A day or two ago." Jay's quick on the response, seeming to be aware of his answer entirely. It better be the truth. How long can I lie to them? How long, exactly?

"Then I'll look around the city for some scraps and bring you back what I find. She should eat and then rest, that's the best I can offer at the moment, given…what happened yesterday." I must choose my words carefully, only the boy in blue knows what's truly happening.

"We can help you look." Kai's voice is strong, but his expression is weak. He is afraid. I would be, too, if I was in his position. However, I am not.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to borrow Cole. He seems to know the city inside and out, judging by how far he managed to get without getting lost." My words are followed by an exchange of glances between the two. The path suddenly grows steeper and I slide down, back beneath the ground again and into the cave system once more. It's not dark, Draco must have already lit the flames for today. How helpful.

"That seems…..alright." They know something that they aren't telling me. It's obvious.

_Don't tell me you're that stupid. That boy was raised here, it's written all over his face. Just like how Kai and Nya are orphans and Zane once thought he was human. You are much better than this. Focus._

Gee, Draco. That's very helpful. However, it is an interesting thought.

The girl is leaned up against a wall, her eyes barely open, and the pale boy at her side. He seems to know what he's doing, checking her forehead every few minutes or so and then checking her pulse. Smart. I wonder how aware he is. He is nothing but a robot, after all. Just another droid.  
Cole, on the other hand, might as well be cradling her, holding her just an inch off the ground. I can understand why, he doesn't want her temperature to drop. Or maybe he's just taking the opportunity. Whatever the reason, it sets Jay off. He practically storms over there and the two boys lock eyes for a split second, both gazes teeming with some kind of rancid hatred before Cole gently passes the girl over to Jay who holds her far more gently. All the while, Draco is watching from a distance, staring with his owl eyes, watching them move. Kai flinches when the little boy's glance moves to him. Honestly, who can blame him?

"Hey. You." I nod in Cole's direction and he turns to look at me, not moving away from Nya. How sweet. He's worried for her. "I need you to come with me." He exchanges glances with Kai who tips his head towards me as if to say; 'Go on.' The black haired boy rolls his eyes and gets up from his stance on his knees and moves to follow me up the mouth of the tunnel.

_She has a fever of one hundred and nine. It's possible that she just has a severe case of the flu. Possible._

However small those odds might be, that's what I intended to stick by.

The sun is even brighter now than before, no longer clinging to the earth at the horizon, and instead it's nestled softly in its correct place in the low sky. Cole shields his face with his arm, blocking off the sunlight. How unfortunate, he hasn't adjusted enough to enjoy the sunrise. Oh well. These things tend to happen eventually.

"We need to find something to eat." I move around the edge of the cavern entrance and wait for him to follow. He does, but slowly and blinking repeatedly.

However long I consider the possibilities, the more I should wonder if Myah and the others made it to safety alright. Maybe they want to know where Draco and I are. No one looks for a girl named Hopeless, it just goes against the nature of human minds. However long I wonder if we're going to make it out alive, I just need to remember that a fever means nothing. It's not the fever that tells you you're going to die. No, something like that is much too common and can happen for thousands of reasons. It's the blood that concerns me. The veins. They're all either carriers, immune, or fighting off infection. If there's anything we can do at all, now would be the time.

Draco, what am I supposed to do?

_Stop pretending you can tell the truth, that's all you can really do._


	6. Up for Adoption

**Author's Note:**  
**As of now, this story, as well as Hopeless and Draco are up for adoption.**

**Please PM me for any details if you are interested ^_^**

**Thank you for reading, and I look forward to someone being able to continue this story!  
*dramatic pose***

**~Echo**


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